FOR , FOR , FOR rev 8/10 Principles of Forest Soils

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1 Course FOR , FOR , FOR rev 8/10 Principles of Forest Soils Syllabus Instructor: Kenneth W. Farrish Room 108 Forestry Lab Building (936) or 2331 Office hours: M and W 8:00-11:00 T and Th 8:00-9:30 Department: Forestry Lecture Room: Forestry Lab Building Room 105 Laboratory: Forestry Lab Building Room 109 Laboratory Instructors: Kenneth W. Farrish, Stacy Carr, and Lacey Stokes Russell Text: Brady, N.C. and R.R. Weil The Nature and Properties of Soils. 14 th ed. Prentice-Hall, Inc., New Jersey. Course Description: Three semester hours, two hours lecture and three hours laboratory per week. Physical, chemical and biological properties of forest soils, their role in forest ecosystems and management concerns. Required field trips. Prerequisite: CHE 133 Program Learning Outcomes: Program Learning Outcomes 1. Demonstrate understanding and competency of forest ecology and biology; 2. Demonstrate understanding and competency in the measurement of forest resources; 3. Demonstrate understanding and competency in managing forest resources; 4. Demonstrate understanding and competency of forest resource policy, economics, and administration. 5. Demonstrate understanding and competency in oral and written communication skills. Items #1 - #4 above are required by the Society of American Foresters, the program s accrediting agency. PLO 1 Forest Ecology & Biology B.S. Forestry Program Learning Outcomes Proficiency Levels PLO2 Forest Resource Measurement PLO3 Forest Resource Management PLO4 Forest Resource Policy, Economics, Administration PLO5 Oral & Written Communication Skills Forestry Common Core FOR 349 A A A I A N /A Not Applicable B-Basic I-Intermediate A-Advanced M-Mastery

2 Definition of Rating Categories: 1. N/A Not Applicable course does not support the Program Learning Outcome. 2. B Basic course supports Program Learning Outcome by providing students with fundamental information, definitions, concepts, and lab activities relative to the expected outcomes. 3. I Intermediate course supports Program Learning Outcome by providing students with topic-specific information, concepts, applications, and lab activities that increase the students skills in making tactical implementation decisions relative to the expected outcomes. 4. A Advanced course supports Program Learning Outcome by providing students with transitional, high level topic-specific information, activities, and opportunities that enable the students to apply their critical thinking and tactical skills to resolved increasingly challenging strategic situations. 5. M Mastery course supports Program Learning Outcome by providing students with opportunities to independently apply tactical and strategic planning skills to successfully accomplish real-world, non-academic management objectives. Completes students preparedness for entry-level professional activity accomplishment. Student Learning Outcomes: The primary objective of this course is to make the student aware of the nature and functions of soils and the importance of soils in natural resource management. The course will cover important aspects of the physical, chemical and biological properties of soils and how these relate to land management. This required course will address the needs of forestry and related majors, and the subject matter supports courses in hydrology, silviculture, and forest management. Course Outline: Lecture Topics Text Chapters Dates* Introduction 1 8/31, 9/2 Soil Formation 2 9/7, 9/9, 9/14, 9/16 Soil Physical Properties 4 9/21, 9/23, 9/28, 9/30, 10/5 EXAM 1 10/7 Soil Water 5 10/12, 10/14, 10/19 Soils and the Hydrologic Cycle 6 10/21, 10/26 Soil Air 7 10/28 Soil Temperature 7 11/2 EXAM 2 11/4 Soil Colloids 8 11/9, 11/11 Soil Reaction 9 11/16 Soil Organisms 11 11/18 Soil Organic Matter 12 11/23

3 EXAM 3 11/30 Plant Nutrients 13, 14,15,16 12/2, 12/6 Soil Classification 3 12/9 EXAM 4 12/14 * Schedule subject to change. Course Policies: A. Grading System - Four exams together will comprise 80 percent (each 20 percent) of the final grade. The overall laboratory grade will comprise the remaining 20 percent of the final grade. The overall laboratory grade is calculated as the mean of the four laboratory reports, three quizzes, and one assignment. All students entering the forestry undergraduate degree programs during or after fall semester of 2008 must make a grade of C or better in each core forestry (FOR) courses to have the course count toward graduation. This course is a core forestry course. B. Grading Scale - The following scale is adhered to strictly. Individual overall means are calculated to the first decimal place = A = B = C = D < 60.0 = F C. Late Assignments - Make-up exams will only be given if arrangements are made with the instructor before missing the scheduled exam. A documented excuse will be required. Otherwise, missing exams will be counted as zeroes in the overall grade computation. Late laboratory assignments will not be accepted. D. Attendance - Attendance in the laboratory section is mandatory. The final laboratory grade will be reduced by one letter grade per absence. E. Other Policies Student must complete the on-line course evaluation for the course. Grades will be withheld until the course evaluation is completed. F. Academic Integrity (A-9.1): Academic integrity is a responsibility of all university faculty and students. Faculty members promote academic integrity in multiple ways including instruction on the components of academic honesty, as well as abiding by university policy on penalties for cheating and plagiarism.

4 Definition of Academic Dishonesty Academic dishonesty includes both cheating and plagiarism. Cheating includes but is not limited to (1) using or attempting to use unauthorized materials to aid in achieving a better grade on a component of a class; (2) the falsification or invention of any information, including citations, on an assigned exercise; and/or (3) helping or attempting to help another in an act of cheating or plagiarism. Plagiarism is presenting the words or ideas of another person as if they were your own. Examples of plagiarism are (1) submitting an assignment as if it were one's own work when, in fact, it is at least partly the work of another; (2) submitting a work that has been purchased or otherwise obtained from an Internet source or another source; and (3) incorporating the words or ideas of an author into one's paper without giving the author due credit. Read the complete policy at G. Acceptable Student Behavior Classroom behavior should not interfere with the instructor s ability to conduct the class or the ability of other students to learn from the instructional program (see the Student Conduct Code, policy D-34.1). Unacceptable or disruptive behavior will not be tolerated. Students who disrupt the learning environment may be asked to leave class and may be subject to judicial, academic or other penalties. This prohibition applies to all instructional forums, including electronic, classroom, labs, discussion groups, field trips, etc. The instructor shall have full discretion over what behavior is appropriate/inappropriate in the classroom. Students who do not attend class regularly or who perform poorly on class projects/exams may be referred to the Early Alert Program. This program provides students with recommendations for resources or other assistance that is available to help SFA students succeed. H. Withheld Grades Semester Grades Policy (A-54) Ordinarily, at the discretion of the instructor of record and with the approval of the academic chair/director, a grade of WH will be assigned only if the student cannot complete the course work because of unavoidable circumstances. Students must complete the work within one calendar year from the end of the semester in which they receive a WH, or the grade automatically becomes an F. If students register for the same course in future terms the WH will automatically become an F and will be counted as a repeated course for the purpose of computing the grade point average.

5 I. Students with Disabilities To obtain disability related accommodations, alternate formats and/or auxiliary aids, students with disabilities must contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS), Human Services Building, and Room 325, / (TDD) as early as possible in the semester. Once verified, ODS will notify the course instructor and outline the accommodation and/or auxiliary aids to be provided. Failure to request services in a timely manner may delay your accommodations. For additional information, go to

6 FOR 349/ ENV 349 rev 8/10 LABORATORY SCHEDULE Week Lab Activity Sep Introduction PowerPoint set Soil and Its Properties Lab Reports-Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) format Assignment 1: Constructing scientific tables and figures 20 2 Soil Formation and Landscapes Soil-forming Factors Video Walking Tour: Soils and landforms near Lanana Creek Assignment 1 due 27 3 SFA Experimental Forest Woden soil profile description (Typic Paleudalf) Quiz (Lab 2) Oct. 4 4 SFA Experimental Forest Mantachie soil profile description (Fluventic Endoaquept) View Bowie soil profile (Plinthic Paleudult) View Nacogdoches soil profile (Rhodic Paleudalf) 11 5 Laboratory Soil texture Report Due (Labs 3 and 4) 18 6 Laboratory Bulk density, particle density, pore space Water movement video

7 25 7 Tonkawa Area Typic Quartzipsamment Aquic Quartzipsamment Typic Psammaquent Report Due (Labs 5 and 6) Nov. 1 8 Laboratory Soil microorganisms- start Soil nutrient video Quiz (Lab 7) 8 9 Laboratory Soil chemistry Finish microorganisms Soil Survey Report Assigned Laboratory Soil moisture determinations Report Due (Labs 8 and 9) 22 No labs Thanksgiving USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service East Texas Plant Materials Center Dec Laboratory Soil Survey Report Due Quiz (Labs 10 and 11) Lab evaluation Schedule subject to change.